The Murcian lost just six games in his debut against Argentinian Londero and will face Albert Ramos in the second round
Carlos Alcaraz did not get the nerves to step into an official match on the center court of Roland Garros for the first time. Halfway through the entrance due to the particularity of a Sunday, Philippe Chatrier witnessed the first meeting of the Murcian star in a setting that will be very familiar to him for years to come. A first win over Juan Ignacio Londero (6-4, 6-2 and 6-0) showing the Spaniard landed in Paris with the same slowness with which he left Madrid two weeks ago.
The rest during the tournament in Rome, so as not to burden a battered ankle in the Madrid tournament, was good for Alcaraz, who left nothing to tilt Londero and add what is only his third victory at Roland Garros . The two-week hiatus went unnoticed in the Alcaraz match, which people are already following very closely in Paris, with many fans getting his autographs and dozens of cameras focused on him at every practice. In recent days he has faced Rafa Nadal in the facilities and practiced with Novak Djokovic, his two major rivals for the title.
Because here Alcaraz already arrives as a favourite, not as a promise. That is why a debacle, after a time without competition, as happened in Monte Carlo, was not negotiable. Londero arrived with more rhythm, yes. The Argentinian came out of the previous phase where he won his first two games but fell in the third, luckily a last-minute pullout allowed him to enter the draw as a ‘lucky loser’.
A chance to show up centrally, but which Alcaraz deactivated with an iron fist. The Spaniard went from less to more and had to play nine atypical matches, with a mixed field, before he could turn the game in his favor. “At the beginning of the race it was difficult for me to adapt to the distances of the track, which is very large,” he said after the game.
At a critical juncture, in the tenth game of the first set, when Londero served to stay alive in that set, Alcaraz pushed through, geared up and broke the serve. The set was scored and there was no turning back. It was only a matter of time before Londero, who is now 141 in the world and turning 50 in 2019, fell apart.
It wasn’t the cleanest game for Alcaraz either, finishing with 25 unforced errors, nor the most aggressive, with his winning shots stopping at 22, but it was the game it took for the Murcian to make his debut in a tournament that puts the favorites to cancel the Musketeers Cup on June 5.
Londero took just under two hours for Alcaraz, who was the first of the big three to hit the scene, with Djokovic and Nadal ready for this Monday. This gives Alcaraz an extra day of rest as the tournament progresses. Alcaraz’s next rival will be Albert Ramos, who defeated Thanasi Kokkinakis and against whom he took his first professional win in Rio de Janeiro 2020. “This is something unique. I consider this stadium to be one of the best. This tournament is one of those I’ve always seen as a kid,” Alcaraz said on the pitch.
The bitter surprise of the day was given by Garbiñe Muguruza, who imploded again. The Spanish lost to Kaia Kanepi 2-6, 6-3 and 6-4 in a match she went on to dominate 6-2 and 3-1, meaning she lost in the first round for the first time in her career. Roland Garros. Losing leads is becoming the trend for Muguruza, who squandered a similar score in Rabat last week and in Rome two weeks ago. Besides Muguruza, Ons Jabeur, champion of Madrid, also fell in her debut against Magda Linette (3-6, 7-6 and 7-5).
As for the rest of the Spaniards, Jaume Munar defeated Daniel Altmaier, Borna Coric defeated Carlos Taberner and Beatriz Haddad Maia defeated Cristina Bucsa.
Source: La Verdad
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